Circuit-coupling.



H. A. sousms.

HRCUIT COUPLHJG.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 28, .913.

Paaiensed. Feb, 2%, 1916.

specification of Letters Eatent.

cit whore may concern:

" l'lOWZl that I, 1 Become the United States, residing in the county of Branch and n, have invented 11 certain improvement in Circuit-Con c concise, and. exact description, r e .e being had to the accompanying druivorrning a part of this specification. 1 invention relates to circuit closing ues or extenders and has n nuinher and advantages in View. invention has for one of provision 011"; a circuit extender having poles that are insulated apart for co11- ion with a metallic circuit, one of being connected with another end. "rel ole "While the other of the 11 i is connected with an inclosin The invention has for another of its,oh- 'cts provision of means whereby two i two adjustments, one for closing tn', circuit and the second for openin before :i third adjustment may that permits the separation of elements of the extender.

The invention has for another 01" its oh: jccts the p ovision ofimproved mean for holding circii't conducting elements in pcsi- The invention has for another of oh the provision of improved cooperrtting coupling members of a circuit extender or connector in which circuit" closing spring contacts are employed.

The invention has other objects and eel-- vantages which Will be fully explained by eference to the accompanymg drawin showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which l 'urc i is a longitudinal sectionul view which the following is a full,

metallic cylindrical shell circuit coupling ineinher contact 3 is desirably outwardly serial 76,215.

5 i a sectional view on line 5 5 2; Fig. n; a

side view 0" port of the struc up" 3; and Fig, I IS view on inc 7 7 of 551g. 1..

n herein shown in the connector tor coupling circuit sections at intermediate portions of circuits olefin the trensmission of current to dislocated translating devices, such as though the invention is not to he to this adaptation. The device shown includes two main coupling ineinloers. fine of these members includes an inclosing 1 provided with ins tting spring tongues which are weirdly. struck from the Th s constitutes a' terminal. which incl' ses a hular contact terminal 3 all as l l smell.

Wili co in hereinafter set forth. The terminals 1 and 3 are, by means of the construction herein: after to he described, adopted respectively for connection with :1 cvlinclricsl S e terminal 4; and a cent cl terminal companion which includes the elements 1, 2 and 1. ti) or pressed by means of the outer one of s 6, 6 which are preferuhly in the 101111 c two oppositely Wound coils so that the each spring are obliquely disposed Wit respect to the coils of the other whereby.

either spring can crowd into the spaces between the coils oi the other spring. Pins 7 are carried by the coupling nieniber rcceivable Within the shell 1,, these pins being 1 refer-ably metallic so osio have electrical connection with the cylindrical shell 4. The shell 1 is provided with bayonet slots each having an outlet o extending lo of the shell and a lateral conti this outlet having portions 9 the some side 01 the longilud' l portion 8, the portion 10 being sullicientl; close to the tcr ninul 3 to maintain the contacts 3 and 5 vii cngugcnient when the pins are rece'i ed by those portions 10, While-the portion 9 is so far removed as to prevent the ouution or" and 1 upon engaged with a. stop lihy means or the uter one of the springs 3, 6 :tor the pnrlldilre pose of preventing the contact 3 from reaching the contact 5 when the pins 7 are received 111 the slot port1ons 9. The portions 9 and 10 of the bayonet slot are circumferentially displaced so that the circuit openmg and closing adjustment and the un-.

coupling of the members may be effected by as few relat've movements as possible and which movements are as short as may 9 and 10 project upwardly so that when the pins Tare received therein the element 4: will not be shaken loose one or the other of the springsb t3 firmly pressing the pins 7 into the slot portions 5) or 10. When the pins 7 are in the slot portions 10 the outer' spring (5 holds these pins 7 in place through the direct intcrmcdiation ot' the terminal 3. When the pins 7 are in slot portions 9 the inner spring (5 operates to hold the pins in place through the intermediation ot' the plug or plunger of insulating material 12 which projects through and is in sliding relation with the cylindrical contact 3, this plug 12 having a rear flange that prevents it from being projected clear through the contact 3. The plug 12 has a rear extension that enters the bore of the inner spring to maintain the spring and plug in alinement. When the circuit'is established by the device of my invention the springs 2 operate to hold the coppled members in suflicicntly rigid relation to prevent rattling. \Vhen the circuit is broken the inner spring-(3 operates through the plug 12 "for a similar purpose. The pins 7 are guided from the slot portions 10 to the slot portions 9 or from the slot portions 9 to the slot portions 10' by means of continuations of adjacent slot portions 3) and 10 that are connncn and which connnon continua tions are defined by a wall portion 13. Passage between adjacent slot portions 8 and f) is likewise determined by continuation common to these two slot portions at l t.

The shell l' contains a plug 15 of insulating material in which terminals 16 are received. this plug 15 also containing the contact element 5 that is in electrical connection with one of the terminals 16. the other of the terminals 16 being in connection with the shell 4, whereby the electrical fitting is adaptable to grounded circuits. The

shell 1 contains a plug of insulating material 17 in fixed relation thereto, the abutment 1-1 being in fixed relation with respect to the plug 17, this abutment being in the form of a spring barrel closed at its rear end to engage the springs G, 6 An insetting pin 18 is in electrical connection with the shell 1 and projects into line with an aperture 19 extending longitudinally of the plug 17. A similar aperture 20 extends to the rear of the spring barrel 11. The contact terminals 21 and 22 are received respectively within the apertures 19 and 20 and respectively engage the pin 18' and the spring barrel 11 whereby this electrical fitting is adaptable to grounded circuits. These contacts 21, 22 are provided with surrounding annular grooves in which spring washers 23 are received to constitute outsetting flanges. it being preferred to em- 1 ploy the spring washers rather than to form the flange integrallywith the contacts to save material and labor. The external surfaces of the contacts 21 and 22 are smooth so as freely to be moved in the openings 19 and 20. Hollow or sleeve nuts 21 have threaded engagement with the plug 17 and butt engagement with the washers whereby the contact terminals 21 and 22 may be forced into tight electrical connection respectively with the elements 18 and 11. These nuts 2+ are desirably made of insulating material and being in the nature of sleeves the conducting wires 25 that pass into the contacts 21 and 22 through the nuts 24 are protected thereby.

\Vhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention 1 do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction and circuit arrangement shown as changes may readily be'made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but

Having thus described my invention 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

1111 circuit coupler including two coupling members carrying complemental contacts; a spring for pressing one of these contacts toward the other; means whereby the coupling members may be positioned in partially separated relation: an insulated-plunger carried by one of the coupling members: and a spring structure for pressing said plunger into engagement with the other coupling member when the cou' pling members are in partially separated relation mechanically to hold the coupling members in substantially fixed 'relation when partially separated. the spring pressed contact constituting a barrel that receives the latter spring and through whose contacting end the plunger projects.

2. A circuit coupler including two coupling members carrying complemental contacts, one of these contacts upon one of the coupling members being tubular; means Wherebv the coupling members may be positioned in partially separated relation; and a springpressed plunger operating in the bore of the tubular contact and engaging the coupling member complemental to that coupling member which carries the 'aforesaid tubular contact, when the coupling members are in partially separated relation, to hold the coupling members in substantially fixed relation when partially separated.

3. A circuit coupler including two coupling members; a spring pressed tubular element carried by one,of the coupling members; another element in the form 01%;. I

" separated relation, one of the aforesaid elements co-acting with the coupling member complemental to the coupling member that carries this element to hold the coupling 'members in substantially fixed relation when partially separated.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

, HARRY A. DOUGLAS. Witnesses:

LULU B. DAVIS, C. H. POWLEY. 

